BBC presenter John Torode has been fired for singing Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” at a private after-work party, where he allegedly used the N-word while reciting the lyrics during a gathering six or seven years ago.
According to a source speaking to The Sun, the accusation stems from Torode repeating the explicit lyrics at the end-of-filming event with colleagues, though he insists he would never use the N-word and only recalls the sanitized radio version: “Now I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger, but she ain’t messin’ with no broke, broke.” The incident, resurfacing amid broader scrutiny, has left Torode adamant about his innocence, raising questions about context and accountability in private expressions.
Birminghammail.co.uk reports: “The clean version of the song is the only one he knows. The person who raised the complaint didn’t say anything at the time. So John only found out a few weeks ago that this issue had been raised.
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“This has hit him like a ton of bricks as he does not recall it. He insists he would never have repeated the N-word in those lyrics because he only knows the radio edit of that song.”
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The source added: “John is adamant he would never use this word while speaking to anyone. The person he is alleged to have said this to didn’t complain, it was someone who overheard it. In fact he was close to the person he is supposed to have said it to and they got on very well while working together.
“Even the person who John was supposedly having the overheard conversation with said he had mentioned the word in reference and apologised straight away. But John has said he cannot recall the conversation and he would never use the N-word.
“He knows it is unacceptable and says he would never have said it. During his meeting John was in disbelief because he insisted he would never have used that word.”
A source added: “John is devastated by all of this. He is being supported by his wife Lisa and friends. They’re keeping him close because he has really been struggling.
“John abhors this kind of language and does not recall ever reciting a racist slur in a lyric, or directing one to someone he considered a friend at work.
“He adored MasterChef. It was a huge part of his life. To have it all ending like this is awful.”
Yesterday Richard Osman, host of BBC quiz show House of Games, said he believed the allegations against Torode were “watertight”.
Osman made the comments to co-host Marina Hyde on the Rest is Entertainment podcast from Goalhanger.
